


Spooked

by EndlessExplorer



Series: Short stories from around Halcyon [2]
Category: The Outer Worlds, The Outer Worlds (Video Game)
Genre: Awkward Flirting, Bad Flirting, Body Modification, Doctor/Patient, F/F, Female Friendship, Flirting, Friendship, Loss, Loss of Limbs, Mutilation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-30
Updated: 2019-10-30
Packaged: 2021-01-08 07:47:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,253
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21232295
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EndlessExplorer/pseuds/EndlessExplorer
Summary: Ellie saves the Captain.





	Spooked

**Author's Note:**

> Hey Everyone!
> 
> Slowly making my way through the Outer Worlds. Have to say that I'm really enjoying it and would recommend it highly!  
Please leave a Kudos if you enjoyed!
> 
> Thanks as always!

Ellie ducked down beside a boulder, pulling Erin closer towards her. What was meant to be a quick job to Fallbrook had taken a turn for the worse. Grabbing Erin’s communicator from her shoulder, Ellie screamed.

“HEY ADA!”

“Yes Dr. Fenhill? Is there a reason for the urgent tone of voice?”

“FUCK YEAH THERE IS! GET THE SHIP HERE RIGHT NOW! THE CAPTAIN IS INJURED BADLY!”

“Is the Captain stable? You know that I can’t do anything unless ordered by the Captain.”

“OH FOR FU- SHE’S AS STABLE AS SHE CAN BE WHILE I HAVE MANTIS, RAPTS, AND MARAUDERS TRYING TO GROUP FUCK BOTH OF US!”

A bullet whizzed past Ellie’s shoulder. Erin was already starting to turn a rather nasty colour and the blood coming from the massive tear in her arm had already started to flow, slow and dribbling.

“I’m sorry Ellie but I-“

“ADA… Get the ship here yesterday or there won’t be a Captain left to give orders!”

Silence followed before ADA replied.

“Duly noted Doctor. Stay where you are.”

Ellie cast a glance over her makeshift barrier. A Raptidon Colossus and a Mantiqueen were currently fighting it out while the Marauders retreated to a safe distance from the battle. She took a moment to catch a breath. If Erin wasn’t currently dying in her lap, there was a very good chance that Ellie would have her hands wrapped around her dear Captain’s throat. While they were travelling between Stellar Bay and Fallbrook, Erin had been unusually chatty and was constantly flirting with the good doctor. Ellie welcomed the games and allowed her guard to slip. When Erin pushed her to one side and stopped a Raptidon Mauler with her right arm, Ellie knew that it would only go one way. She grabbed Erin’s blade from her belt and drove it deep within the Raptidon’s cranium. The beast was dead, but the damage had been dealt. As a sawbones, Ellie was used to cries of pain and terror, but Erin’s were different. As she clutched where her lower right arm had been, she wailed in agony before her grip went lose and she fell unconscious. Ellie couldn’t forget them. She partially cauterised the wound with the swift use of a plasma cutter, but the acid still wracked Erin’s system. She was still dying. Ellie drove her fist into the ground beside Erin’s limp head.

_‘Why! Why the hell did you do it, you selfless, stubborn bitch!’_

For the first time in an hour, they caught a break when the Unreliable flew overhead. As ADA landed, the cargo doors creaked open and Parvati ran out taking Erin’s other shoulder as everyone else provided suppressing fire.

“Ah Ms. Ellie? I had a hunch and asked SAM to sterilize a workbench. You can put the Captain down there.”

“Good hunch but I need your help Pavi.”

“I ain’t no sawbones! I can fix your gun no problem. Not the Captain.”

Ellie had already thrown her coat in some forgotten corner and was furiously scrubbing her hands with soap. Throwing the soap to Parvati, Ellie grabbed her surgery kit from her room.

“That’s why I need your help. We’re gonna need to give the Captain a new arm.”

Parvati’s eyes ran wide before she shook herself from her stupor. It was because of Erin that she had even gotten so far with Junlei. She owed the Captain a life debt. This was the least she could do.

\--

Several hours later Ellie crashed into her bunk as Parvati slid onto the floor beside her. They had stabilised the acid and attached a rather rudimentary prosthetic to the stump. It would take quite a bit of getting used to, but Erin would still have two arms, despite one being near all mechanical. ADA had the Unreliable hovering over Monarch, hidden inside some nearby asteroid field. As long as no one went searching for them, they should be fine to stay there until Erin was ready to get back out there.

“Hey Ellie?”

Parvati didn’t get much of a reply, simply a grunt from the pile lying on the bunk.

“Are you sweet on the Captain?”

Ellie sat up stock straight before locking eyes with Parvati. Parvati could see in her eyes that she was walking through dangerous territory. Finding an unusual amount of bravery, Parvati continued.

“It’s just that I seen the way you look at her when we’re out on missions and stuff. Captain would always tell me that I look at Junlei the same way, all slack-jawed and stuff.”

“I am not slack-jawed!”

“I’m not about to go and report to everyone if ya are, I’m just trying to make sense of how you always got your eyes on ‘er. Pop always told me that we know when that one comes along. He’d describe meeting mom like feeling all bubbly, scary and yet something he’d never have changed.”

Ellie stayed silent. Everyone on the Unreliable knew that Ellie hadn’t the greatest track record when it came to relationships. More for the action than the emotion and that suited her just fine so far. Noting that Parvati was still staring at her; Ellie flipped.

“No offense Pavi, but your dad sounds like a bit of an idiot.”

Parvati stood up, dusting off her casuals. “I’m gonna just take it that yer hurtin’ and let you be. Talk later Dr. Fenhill”

Ellie shut the door to her quarters and sank back down into her cot. Pulling her legs close she sat in silence for a moment before standing up.

_‘Better make sure she doesn’t die after all that hard work…’_

\--

Erin opened her eyes and sat up. What was the last thing she remembered? Ellie’s face scrunched up in the cutest look she’s ever seen… a Raptidon Mauler… Utter agonizing pain. She looked down at her right arm. From the elbow down, her warm mocha skin had been replaced by cold steel. She flexed her new mechanical fingers, finding them slow and slightly cumbersome, but quite manageable.

“Welcome back to the world of the living Captain…”

Erin looked towards the source of the voice when Ellie walked out of the shadow. Her usual cocky smile was plastered across her face but there was something else there.

“You scared the fucking shit out of me back there, so thanks for that. I then had to haul your ass back here and then make sure you didn’t die. So fun times for ole Ellie Fenhill there…”

Erin looked dejected. Her eyes travelled between Ellie and her steel hand for a couple seconds before she stood up and wrapped her good arm around Ellie. Not a single word spoken, just brief skin contact and Ellie stood straight.

“Thank you Ellie and I apologize for all the harm that I’ve caused.” Ellie noticed a mischievous smirk break out. “But when I saw that Raptidon try and bite that ass, I just had to stop it. I wanna be the one bitin’ that ass.”

Ellie smiled before rubbing her forehead. Her smile dropped for a moment and she turned serious.

“ Just try and be more careful out there. You had me worried and I have a reputation as a cold hearted bitch to uphold.”

“Duly noted Doctor, but can I say something?”

Ellie rolled her eyes. “Yer the Captain. I couldn’t stop you even if I wanted to.”

“That’s true and that rep should be as a cold hearted bitch… with a drop dead ass!”

“Don’t make me sedate you!”


End file.
